Needle threader



Nov. 26, 1946. ,m ER' T AL 2,411,686

NEEDLE THREADER Filed Ailg. 14, 1945 2 Sheeis-Sheet 1 N6v;26,1946. NGMR ETA 2,411,686

NEEDLE THREADER Filed Aug. 14, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 the like.

Patented Nov. 26, 1946 umreo stares eATE r OFFlCEy NEEDLE 'rimnanna Max Ingwer, New York, and Werner W. Schwartz,

1 Jackson Heights, solidated Sewing N. Y., Machine & Supply 00., Inc.

assignors to Con- New York, N. Y., acor'poration of New York Application August 14, 1945, Serial No. 610,702

7 Claims.

The invention herein disclosed relates to devices for threading needles.

Objects of the invention are to provide a needle threader of simple," inexpensive construction and which can be easily used to quickly thread the needle.

' Other objects of the invention are to provide a needle threader of a one-piece or integral type of construction, with no loose or movable parts and 'of a character which-can be stamped out of sheet 'metaland'be thin and flat", takingl'up but small space and adapted to be used either asa separate tool or to be combined with other implements, for. example to be mounted as a folding blade in a handle carrying a seam ripper or Other desirable objects and the novel features by which the purposes of the invention are attained are set forth or will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate present practical embodiments of theinvention. 7 Structure, however, may be modified. and changed as regards the immediate disclosure, all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed. v

Fig. 1 in the drawings is a side elevation of one ofthe needle threaders; V I

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same; I

Figs. 3 and 4 are side views illustrating use of the implement in effecting the threading of a needle; I H 7 1 7 Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view as on substantially the Fig. 6 is a plan view of a blank for another form of the invention;

Fig. '7 is a side view of the completed article;

Fig. 8 is a plan or edge view of the same; and

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a blank for a further modified form of the invention.

As first shown, Figs. 1 to 5, the body of the device consists of a strip of sheet material, in the nature of a straight, fiat blade I.

This blade is split longitudinally at one end at 8 and '9- to form upper, lower and intermediate fingers or prongs l0, l1 and I2, respectively.

The intermediate prong is longer than the other two and the root portion of the same at I3 is extended angularly from the body of the blade to offset this prong from the other two and thus to provide a channel M for reception of the needle. The longer, intermediate prong may be used, in effect, as a 'feeler to engage the back of the needle, thus to bring the channel into line plane of line 5-5 of Fig. 3.,

with the needle and the prongs 10, H and I2 into position to, straddle the needle. 4

' The offsetting portion. 13 of the intermediate prong is shown as having an opening Hi there- 5 through. This is for passage of the thread engaging hook IS. The latter is shown as made of thin, flat sheet metal with anenlarged base portion I! secured over the side of the blade by a screwlB. This disposition and arrangementof the parts causes the hook to project through the opening l5 into the central portion of the needle receiving channel. The hole l5 servesalso' as a guide and brace for the hook, locating it in a downwardly inclined position. with :thetop of the hook projecting below the, edgeof the intermediate prong sufficiently to catchthe thread when .the latter is' brought'up over the lower edge of the intermediate prong.

To assist in guiding the thread into engagement with the hook, the lower edge of the intermediate prong is shown as formed with an upward indentation l9 inclined 0r curvedtoward "thetip of the hook so as to slide the thread thereover into the bite of the hook.

,In Fig. 3 the device is shown as. having been engaged over the needle and the downwardly inclined hook extended through the eye of the needle. Also in this view the thread has been entered in the slot 9 between the intermediate and lower prongs and been slid up over the curved or inclined guiding edge I9 into engagement in the hook. I

Fig. 4 shows how, with the hook passed through the eye of the needle and the thread caught by the hook, it is then only necessary to back the implement away from the needle, the hook then drawing a loop of the thread through the needle. The body of the blade may be made long enough to serve as a convenient handle for using 40 the implement. Being thin sheet material, this blade may be hingedly mounted in a holder, after the manner of a blade in a pocket knife.

The device consists of only two parts, the body or blade structure and the hook and these, when 5 put together as shown, constitute a unitary, practically one-piece article. The blade may be of thin sheet metal or other suitable sheet material, The complete article can be produced at low cost. The action is simple and practically automatic, since the prongs guide the hook over the handle into position to pass through the eye, and the edge of the intermediate prong guides the thread up into engagement with the hook, ready to be drawn back through the needle as the tool is removed from the needle.

longitudinal center line 2! to form a doubled handle portion 1a. One end of the blank is split or slotted at 22 in line with the fold line so that in folding, the separated portions will form the flexible sides 23 of a needle receiving channel.

These separated portions are oifset from the.

main handle forming portions by bends 24 and one of the sides has an opening I511 therethrough for the thread hook it.

which secures the thread hook. This screw then serves the additional function of positively securing the handle portions in their closely folded relation.

The thread guiding groove 19a is provided in this instance by the formation of similarly inclined notches in the outer edges of the channel forming portions of the blank.

Instead of a longitudinally foldable blank, the blank may be made up as in Fig. 9 with duplicate handle portions in end-to-end relation and arranged to be folded on a transverse line 2| a to bring the parts together into closely overlying doubled handle and channel forming portions, substantially after the manner indicated in Figs. '7 and 8.

What is claimed is:

1. A needle threader comprising a blade split longitudinally in one end into upper, lower and intermediate prongs, the intermediate prong being offset laterally from the other prongs and forming therewith a needle receiving channel and the offsetting portion of said intermediate prong having a hole therethrough opening into said channel and a thread catching hook extending from the side of the blade, through said hole into said channel and of a size to pass through the eye of a needle to be threaded.

2. A needle threader comprising a blade split longitudinally in one end into upper, lower and intermediate prongs, the intermediate prong being offset laterally from the other prongs and forming therewith a needle receiving channel and the offsetting portion of said intermediate prong having a hole therethrough opening into said channel and a thread catching hook extending from the side of the blade, through said hole into said channel and of a size to pass through the eye of a needle to be threaded, the lower edge of said intermediate prong being indented to form with the lower prong a thread receiving throat and curved toward the end of the hook to guide the thread thereto.

The other folded por tion of the blade has a seat 25 for the screw Hi 3. A needle threader comprising a blade having laterally ofiset fingers to straddle a needle, one of said fingers having a hole therethrough opening into the needle receiving space between said fingers and a thread catching hook extending from said blade through said hole into said .needle receiving space.

4. A needle threader comprising a blade split longitudinally in one end into upper, lower and intermediate prongs, the intermediate prong being offset laterally from the other prongs and forming therewith a needle receiving channel and the offsetting portion of said intermediate prong having a hole therethrough opening into said channel and a thread catching hook extending from the side of the blade, through said hole into said channel and of a size to pass through the eye of a needle to be threaded, said oil'set intermediate prong being longer and extending beyond the end of the other prongs to guide the threader laterally over a needle and to serve as a guide for directing the thread to the hook.

5. A needle threader comprising a blade having laterally offset fingers spaced to straddle the needle, one of said fingers having a hole therethrough opening into the needle receiving space between the fingers and a thread catching hook extending from the blade through said hole into said needle receiving space, the lower edge'of one of said fingers being indented upwardly toward said thread catching hook to guide a thread engaged with said lower edge into the ip of said hook.

' 6. A needle threader comprisinga blade split longitudinally at one end into upper, lower and intermediate prongs, the intermediate prong being spaced above the lower prong a distance providing easy entrance for a thread and said intermediate prong being offset laterally from'the other prongs and having an opening through the offsetting portion of the same, and a thread catching hook extending from the side of the blade through said opening on a downward incline toward said wide thread receiving throat.

7. A needle threader comprising a handle having flexible, substantially parallel spaced fingers providing a needle guiding and receiving channel at one end, one of said spaced portions having an opening therethrough, a thread catching hook secured to one side of the handle and proj'jecting through said opening and one edge of said channel forming portions having a notch therein leading to the projecting end of said hook for guiding a thread thereto.

MAX INGWER. WERNER W. SCHWARTZ. 

